Pizza Bagel

Do I really need to tell you how to put this together? It's the easiest lunch ever, and one of the yummiest, I think!

A couple notes:

I used mozzarella flavored Daiya "cheese," this is my new favorite vegan cheese.

I toasted the bagel before putting on the toppings, then baked it at 350 degrees until the cheese melted (about 7 min). This way, the bagel wasn't soggy.

I ate it with "Sweet Spinach Salad" (separate post) for a somewhat healthier meal.

Sweet Spinach Salad

For this salad, which takes about 5 minutes to prepare, I used:

About 2 cups baby spinach

1 apple, sliced

About 1/3 cup sweetened dried cranberries

Cardini's Pear vinaigrette dressing

You can also add 1/4 cup candied walnuts - I just didn't happen to have any that day.

I had it for lunch with a pizza bagel. Delicious!

Quinoa Mango Salad

This is one of my absolute favorite recipes from "Veganomicon," modified slightly. I make this quite frequently; this time it was because I happened to see a big pile of nice ripe mangos when I went to the grocery store. Since it's served cold and it keeps well for a few days, I make the whole batch (about 4 servings) and eat it for lunch throughout the week. It takes about 20 min to prepare, not including time to chill.

1 cup uncooked quinoa

2 cups water

1 mango, peeled and diced

1 red bell pepper, diced finely

3/4 cup chopped scallions

2 Tbs red wine vinegar

2 Tbs olive oil

1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinced

1. Cook quinoa and allow to cool.

2. Mix all other ingredients together in a large bowl or tupperware. Add cooked quinoa and stir everything to combine.

Sweet and Sour Tofu

This was just so delicious, I had to add it here even though it's a bit complicated. The recipe is modified from "Vegan Yum Yum," partly for taste and partly to make it easier. It wasn't particularly time-consuming - maybe 35 minutes start to finish - but you are busy for the entire 35 minutes. It made 4 servings.

Also note that this doesn't work great as leftovers. I ate it as leftovers, and it certainly wasn't bad, but it's much better the day of.

1 cup rice

2 cups water

1 lb. extra-firm tofu, pressed and sliced into medium-small cubes or triangles (1 package) ( sliced them so they were about the same size as my broccoli pieces)

soymilk (in a small shallow bowl)

flour (in a small shallow bowl)

canola oil

1/2 cup sliced almonds

1 bunch broccoli, chopped (I discarded the stem)

Sauce:

3.5 Tbs seasoned rice vinegar

1/4 cup water

2 Tbs plus 2 tsp sugar

2 Tbs soy sauce

2 tsp ketchup

1 tsp molasses

1/4 tsp ginger powder

1/2 tsp salt

2.5 Tbs cornstarch plus 2 Tbs water, mixed

1. Cook rice: combine rice and 2 cups water in a sauce pan. Cover, bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and cook until done. I used brown basmati rice because I like it and it's healthy, but I think white sticky rice would probably be more traditional for this meal.

2. Toss the tofu first in the soymilk, then in the flour to coat. Pour just enough oil to coat the entire bottom of a large nonstick skillet and heat on medium.

3. While oil heats, start the sauce: put all sauce ingredients except cornstarch/water mixture into a small saucepan and heat until sugar dissolves.

4. Your oil should be ready now. Place tofu pieces in the pan and fry for about 5 minutes (until golden on the bottom).

5. While frying, put on the water to steam the broccoli. Then return to your sauce: add the cornstarch/water mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until it thickens. Remove from heat.

6. Turn tofu to brown on the other side.

7. Add broccoli to your steamer.

8. When tofu is done, add almonds to the pan and fry about 30 seconds.

9. Transfer everything except rice (tofu/almonds, broccoli, and sauce) to serving dish. Serve with rice.

Rice and Beans

Rice and beans is a standard. Easy, healthy, not too time-consuming. This particular recipe is a modified version of a recipe in the book "Vegan Yum Yum" by Lauren Ulm. It took me about 15 minutes to cook the bean mixture; if you need to cook the rice too that takes about 40 minutes so plan accordingly (i.e., start the bean mixture after the rice has been in for 25 min). It gave me 3 pretty good servings.

1 cup brown basmati rice

2 cups water

1 Tbs olive oil

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp coriander

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper

1/2 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

4 Tbs soy sauce

2 Tbs water or vegetable broth

1 red bell pepper, diced

2 medium carrots, shredded

1/2 cup frozen edamame (not in pods) or green peas

1/2 cup frozen corn

1. Cook rice (combine rice and water in a pot, cover, bring to a boil, then turn to lowest setting and simmer for 40 min).

2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add spices and saute for a minute. Add beans, soy sauce, water or vegetable broth, and red pepper and bring to a low simmer.

3. Add edamame, carrots, and corn. Simmer until cooked (about 4 min).

4. Serve bean mixture over rice.

Tomato soup and Grilled "Cheese"

This is an insanely healthy tomato-chickpea soup recipe from "Vegan Yum-Yum." It's a bit spicy and a bit grainy, and very creamy. I liked it, and it was good with my grilled "cheese" dipped in it. The soup only took about 20 min start to finish, and serves 3-4 people. You can make your sandwich while the soup is simmering.

2 Tbs olive oil

1 sweet onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp chili flakes

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

1/2 tsp turmeric

1 15-oz can chickpeas (drained and rinsed)

1 28-oz can diced tomatoes (don't need to drain)

1 cup hot water

salt and pepper to taste

Earth balance

bread

vegan cheese of choice

Whatever else you might like in your sandwich (tomatoes are particularly yummy)

1. Heat oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add onion and saute 3 minutes. Add garlic and saute another minute.

2. Add spices and chickpeas, and saute a couple minutes until chickpeas turn golden.

3. add tomatoes and let simmer 10-15 minutes.

4. While simmering, make your sandwich: Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add some Earth balance and spread it around when it melts. Turn the heat to low and add the sandwich. After about 5 min (watch that it doesn't burn), flip sandwich (adding more Earth balance in between the sides).

5. Transfer the soup mixture to a blender. Add the hot water and blend until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste and enjoy!

Scrambled Tofu

Scrambled tofu is sort of like a replacement for scrambled eggs, only way better. (I've never cared for scrambled eggs.) Plus, you can add whatever veggies you like. Here's a basic recipe that you can add your own veggies to, modified from "Vegan Brunch." It took me about 20minutes start to finish; it would probably take slightly less time if you didn't use a vegetable that needs a longer cooking time (I used peppers). I put 1/2 cup sliced cremini mushrooms and 1/2 cup chopped red pepper in this time, because that was what I had in the fridge. Zucchini, onion, and spinach are other yummy things I've tried. This recipe serves 2 (although I managed to eat it all myself in one sitting).

1 clove minced garlic

1 Tbs olive oil

1/2 lb. (half a package) extra-firm tofu, drained and broken apart (by hand) into bite-sized clumps

2 Tbs nutritional yeast (I've made scramble with and without - I love the flavor it adds, but it's not necessary if you don't have it handy)

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp dried thyme (I've also used basil and oregano with good results)

1/4 tsp ground turmeric (it won't be bad if you leave this out, but it is better with it!)

2 Tbs water

salt and pepper to taste

1. Blend cumin, thyme, turmeric, and water in a small cup and mix.

2. Preheat a large skillet over medium heat. Saute the garlic in oil for about a minute. Add vegetables with a long cooking time (e.g. onions or peppers) and saute another 3-5 min.

3. Add tofu and other veggies if using (except spinach, that would go in at the end) and saute for about 10 min.

4. Add nutritional yeast, spices, and salt and pepper. Cook about 5 more minutes.

Easy Vegan Tacos

Tacos are one of those things almost no one makes from scratch anyway, right? So when I buy vegan taco filler pre-flavored to taste like tacos, I'm not really cheating... am I? Anyway, these are the world's easiest thing to make - they literally took me about 5 minutes. And they're deliciously yummy, too. A one-pound package of taco filler will make somewhere between 8 and 10 tacos, depending on how much you over-stuff them. This recipe's a bit hard to write down because everyone likes different things in their tacos... but here's what I used.

1 lb. package of vegan taco filler (TVP, textured vegetable protein, found near the tofu in your normal grocery store) (Or you can use non-flavored TVP "meat" and flavor it yourself)

1 tomato, diced

a bit of shredded lettuce

shredded vegan cheddar, cheezy sauce, or (yikes, this is really what I used) vegan nacho cheese from a jar

guacamole (optional)

Salsa (optional)

8-10 taco tortillas or hard shells

1. Heat the taco filler.

2. Heat up your taco shells (for tortillas, be sure to wrap in foil before placing in oven)

3. Heat up cheezy sauce or nacho cheese if using

4. make your tacos the way you like, and enjoy!

Mushroom Spinach Omelet

Before I made it, I wasn't sure about this one. I mean, how can you make an omelet without any eggs? Will it actually taste good? The answers are (1) very easily and (2) heck, yeah! This was awesome, one of the best omelets I've ever had for sure. I ate it with an English muffin - I would recommend some kind of bread product on the side. I should also note that I didn't have any chickpea flour or quite enough olive oil, but it still worked and was delicious even with my modifications. This comes from the book "Vegan Brunch" by Isa Chandra Moskowitz - it's the first recipe I've made so far and now I really can't wait to try the rest! The book claims this'll serve 4, but I made a half recipe and ate it all myself. (I was a bit hungry after skiing all day.)

Omelet:

1 lb. silken tofu, lightly drained

2 Tbs nutritional yeast

2 Tbs olive oil (I used 1 Tbs oil and 1Tbs soymilk)

1/2 tsp tumeric

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup chickpea flour (I used whole wheat pastry and it worked)

1 Tbs arrowroot OR cornstarch

Filling:

4 cups sliced cremini mushrooms

1 tsp bottled minced garlic

3 Tbs chopped fresh thyme (the fresh is AWESOME, but if you must, dry would work)

salt and pepper to taste

2 cups chopped fresh spinach

Shredded vegan cheese (flavor of your choice, I used American because I had it)

1. Place everything except flour and arrowroot in a food processor and blend until smooth. Add flour and arrowroot and puree again just until combined.

2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high, spray with cooking spray.

3. In half-cup increments, pour the omelet batter into the skillet. Use the back of a spoon to spread the batter out into 6-inch circles. Let cook about 5 minutes before flipping. The top of the omelet should become a matte yellow when it's ready to be flipped. Once flipped, cook another couple minutes on the other side.

4. Meanwhile, make the filling. Preheat a large pan over medium heat with olive oil. Saute the mushrooms for about 5 minutes or until soft. Add garlic and thyme and saute about 3 more minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

5. Stuff omelets: Place mushroom mixture on 1/2 of each circle. Add 1/2 cup chopped fresh spinach (will wilt in omelet). Top with cheese and fold.

Split Pea Soup

This is another recipe from "The Vegan Table" (minus the ingredients I don't like). It's very healthy - full of protein and fiber. It was also super easy to make - it only took about 10 minutes to put everything in the pot - but I did have to be patient for an hour and 10 min while it simmered! It was very yummy. I added quite a bit of freshly ground black pepper to it once I got it in my bowl, because I like my split pea soup a little spicy. The way I made it, it'll serve 4.

2 cups green split peas

6 cups (or more) water plus a couple vegetable bouillon cubes (I used 4 cups to start, then ended up adding another cup and a half as it simmered. The soup is a bit thicker if you use less.)

1 medium yellow onion, diced

2 Yukon gold potatoes, diced

1.5 tsp bottled minced garlic

2 diced carrots

2 diced celery sticks

1 tsp dried marjoram

1 tsp dried basil

1/4 tsp ground mustard

salt and pepper to taste

1. Rinse split peas. Place all ingredients except salt and pepper in a large soup pot, bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer, cover loosely, and cook until peas are tender (1 hour or more). Check occasionally to make sure the water hasn't completely evaporated.

2. Add salt and pepper to taste, and serve hot.

Carrot and Potato Soup

Carrots and potatoes are wonderfully versatile veggies. You can try either of the options for spices below - one is a mild fresh ginger flavor; the other is a nice curry - or you can use the soup base and add your own spices. This recipe serves 2-4, depending on how hungry you are and what else you are serving with it. (I definitely recommend at least serving bread. I was feeling lazy last night and cooked up a pre-packaged veggie burger to go with my soup. It worked.) From start to finish, it takes about 35 minutes to make.

1 large yellow onion, chopped

2 tsp bottled minced garlic

7 carrots, peeled and chopped

2 large Yukon gold potatoes, diced

4-6 cups (depending on size of vegetables) water with 2 vegetable bouillon cubes

Choices for spices:

(1) 2.5 tsp minced fresh ginger

salt and pepper to taste

(2) 1/4 tsp powdered ginger

2 tsp curry powder

salt and pepper to taste

1. In soup pot, saute onions and garlic in 2Tbs water or olive oil until translucent (about 5 min).

2. Add vegetables, carrots, potatoes, and fresh ginger if using. Add enough water (plus bouillon) to cover everything. Bring to boil, reduce heat to simmer, and simmer until veggies are all soft (about 20 min).

3. Remove from heat and add remaining spices. Transfer it all to a blender, and blend until smooth and creamy. (You may want to return it to the pot after to reheat, but I don't usually as I like my soup hot but not burning.)

Garlic and Greens Soup

This is one of the first recipes I've tried from the book "The Vegan Table." It's super yummy! I've modified it a bit here, but I'm not noting the original recipe's suggestion so if you want to see the original, buy the book! :) I'd say this can serve 4-6, as long as it's at least served with bread or rolls. It went wonderfully tonight with the "Toasted Quinoa" (separate post). This recipe takes about 40 minutes or so start to finish; 20 to 25 of that is inactive.

8 cups water plus 2-4 vegetable bouillon cubes

4-5 teaspoonfuls of bottled minced garlic

1 large yellow onion, finely chopped

1 bunch kale

3 Yukon gold potatoes, diced

1 Tbs rice vinegar

salt and pepper to taste

[1 cup cooked barley - optional]

1. In large soup pot, heat 3 Tbs water and saute garlic and onion until translucent - about 3-5 min.

2. Add kale, potatoes, and water with bouillon cubes. Bring to a boil. Simmer about 20 minutes, until the potatoes can be pierced with a fork.

3. Remove from heat. Add rice vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. Stir.

If you want to add barley (I didn't but want to try next time), add 1 cup cooked barley to the soup 5 min before it's finished cooking.

Toasted quinoa with raisins and slivered almonds

This is a the first recipe I've tried from a new book I just got for Christmas: "The Vegan Table" by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau. What a great success! I ate it with the "Garlic and Greens Soup" (separate post) so that I had my leafy greens and protein all in one meal, but both could certainly stand alone. This is a relatively easy meal to prepare (about 25 minutes total, half of it inactive) and the great taste is totally worth it! The original recipe claims to serve 2-4; I would say it could serve 4-6 if you're serving anything else with it.

2 cups uncooked quinoa

2 shallots, minced

1 Tbs minced fresh ginger

1/2 tsp ground cardamom

1/2 tsp ground coriander

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/8 tsp cayenne

4 cups vegetable stock

salt and pepper to taste (I actually used none)

1/3 cup raisins

1/2 cup toasted slivered almonds

1. Rinse quinoa in a small strainer. Heat a large skillet over medium heat, add quinoa, and stir constantly for 5 min to toast quinoa until dry.

2. Heat 2 Tbs water in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots and ginger and saute until soft (about 3 min).

3. Add the toasted quinoa, spices, and vegetable stock to the shallot mixture. Stir to combine, bring to a boil, reduce heat to low. Cover and cook until all water is absorbed (about 12 minutes).

4. Remove from heat and stir in raisins and almonds. (The original recipe also calls for 2 Tbs minced fresh parsley here, but I don't like it so left it out.)